Driving mechanism for sheet-feeders.



G. SPIESS. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR SHEET FEEDERS. APPLICATION FILED APR.2, 1909.

1,138,327. Patented May 4, 1915.

Georg Spies:

4% WM Horney! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORG SPIESS, OF LEIPZIG CONNEWITZ, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO ARTHUR SPIESS, OF MANNHEIM. BADEN, GERMANY.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR SHEET-FEEDERS.

Application filed April 2, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnono Srmss a sub ject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Leipzig Connewitz, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Sheet-Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in driving mechanism for sheet feeding devices and pertains particularly to that type of sheet feeding apparatus in which a bank of feathered sheets is fed around a transfer roller onto a work table and then transported along said table to a set of friction wheels which transfer the top sheet of the supply.

In devices heretofore employed the actuation of the transfer roll occurs simultaneously with the movement of the means of friction wheels that separate the top sheet. Such apparatus suffers from the disadvantage that the sheets frequently stop and pile up in front of the friction wheels and that the transfer roll will not act evenly if operated by spring power.

It is the purpose of the present invention to cause the transfer or feed of paper by the transfer roll at a time when the friction wheels have been raised and are inactive.

The invention is illustrated in the accom by transfer tapes or other means until the.

top sheet reaches the friction wheels D. This feed of paper by the transfer roll A takes place according, to the presentinvention at predetermined intervals when the friction wheels .have transferred the top sheet and areraised and therefore inactive. The feeding forward of the bank of paper then brings the next sheet into a position to be transferred and the friction wheels descend to effect the transfer.

Specification of Letters Patent.

{to which a crank rod P tion as shown in Fig. 1.

because it is secured Patented May 4, 1915; Serial No. 487,469.

In the device illustrated a shaft N rotates continuously. This shaft carries a crank!) is movably attached. The crank rod P is slotted at the oppos'ite end. A swing arm F is pivotally secured on the frame work with its upper end por- On the side near the crank rod P the swing arm carries a pin F which passes through the slot of said crank rod. Somewhat below the pin F a spring Q is attached to the swing arm with one end while the other end is stationai'ily secured, Figs. 1 and 2. The bottom end portion of the swing arm F below the spring Q connects movably with a horizontal bar G. The other end of the bar G has an adustable or pin and slot connection with a swing lever H provided on its upper end portion with a pawl I. The shaft of the ratchet wheel K carries a gear wheel L which engages with a gear wheel M niount ed on the shaft of the transport roll A.

The spring Q connected to the swing arm F has the tendency to draw said swing arm toward the left in Fig. 1 and therebv the horizontal bar G which in turn actuates the swing lever H that carries the pawl I. 'When the spring Q pulls the arm F and the swing lever H moves towa d the right on the shaft of the ratchet and thereby the pawl I is out of engagement with the t eth of the ratchet leaving the transport 1".11 A at rest. When the swing arm F moves toward the right in Fig. 1 during another phase of the operation of the devim by means of the slotted crank rod P which is actuated by the continuously rotating shaft N the bar G moves the pawl engages the teeth of the ratchet thereby moving same in the direction of the arrow to a certain distance according tothe throw of said lever H. The gear L then actuates the gear M and thereby the transport roll A a corresponding distance in the direction f the arrow as shown in Fig. 1. It is plainly understood from the above that upon the rotation of the shaft N the crank rod P will travel a certain distance without efiecting the movement of the swing arm F because it is slotted as above described. For the purpose of transporting the bank of paper and bringing one sheet to the bar Gr toward the left the upper end of the transfer device the crank O has to make one revolution in the directionof the arrow as shown in Fig; 1. During the first half of said revolution the swing arm is not affected by the crank rod and the spring Q draws /tions is repeated. r

same toward the left releasing the pawl 1.

During the second half of the revolutiolfof. the crank O or rather at the end of the third quarter of said revolution the swing arm F is moved by the crank rod to the rlght whereby the pawl I is actuated so as to move the ratchet wheel and thereby the transport roll to a certain extent. As above stated the friction wheels I) are down upon the top sheet of the paper during the first half of the revolution of the crank O and transfer said sheet until it reaches further transportation devices. {The friction wheels then are raised by suitable means into the position shown in Fig. 3. This raising mechanism 18 referably of the type showy in my prior atent No. 967,077 dated Aug. 9, 1910, it does not 'forin part of this invention and therefore is not shown or described here. The movement of the swing arm F is then temporarily prevented by a suitably supported a rack R which is connected to the lower end portion of the swing arm as shown in Fig. 2. The teeth ofi the rack may be engaged by a stop tooth S when the friction wheels are in a raised position as shown in 3. Each friction wheel D is supported on a bell crank lever D which is mounted on a shaft E. Connected thereto are :the links T and U which latter carries a support/V to which a stop tooth S is attached which is nermally -.kept out of engagement with the teeth of "the rackby a spring S suitably supported 0,1; the frame work. However when a 'frict'ion wheel D is raised the arms T and U are atu'a ed and the tooth carrying support or arm forced down so that said stop tooth S engages the rack. At this moment the swing arm F isg'pi'evented from further ovement. Thus'the stop tooth S defines I t e distance which the roll A travels so that one sheet is transported under the friction wheels D and no farther. The friction wheels D descend sooner orlater in accord ance with the size of the sheet that is transportedywhereby the links T, U, and V are actuated so that the spring Siriay pull up the stop tooth S from the rack. During the second half of 'one revolution of the" crank the friction wheels remain in araised position and the crank rod-forces the swing arm to the right actuating thereby the pawl I'whichcauses the movement of the transport m1] Awhilethe stop tooth glides over the teeth of the rack. Thus" the pawl I is operated for effecting the movement of the transport-roll t-a time when the friction wheels are. in a raisedposition and therefore ll'lflfiv tiye, Kecordingly the actuating mechanism 7 rolls In the described manner the continuously rotating shaft N with crank O actuates the Slotted crank rod P whereby the pin F of the swing arm F is moved horizontally forward and backward. The swing arm F be ing normally pulled toward the left by the spring Q pulls the rod G to the left and all end. The swing lever H secured to the other or right hand end of the rod G with its lower end' thus operates the pawl I on its upper end and establishes periodically engagement with the ratchet K. The shaft of the ratchet carying the gear L is thereb moved and engages the gear M on the she t of the transport roll A whereby the bank of sheets is moved'a certain distance bringing the hip sheet under the friction wheels or Whichsheet is then transported to further (transportation devices. Upon the upward movement of the friction wheels as shown in Fig. 3 the link mechanism T, U, V

gagement of the stop toothwith the rack occurs whenthe swing arm F by virtue of the continuous rotation of the shaft N is in the position indicated in Fig. 3 that is to the left and the pawl I accordingly is out of engagement with the ratchet K. The extent of the feeding strokeof the pawl I being equal to the extent of the inactive stroke of this pawl, therefore, is governed by the engagement of the stop tooth S with the rack R. During this time the transport roll does not move but upon further rotation of the shaft N is repeated.

I claim as my invention: 1 1. Sheet feeding mechanism comprising a roll for feeding a bank of feathered sheets of paper, friction wheels adapted to be raised and lowered out of, and into, feeding the entire cycle of operations mechanism movably connected to its other R prevents the swing arm F positions for transferring the top sheet when l in contact therewith, means for actuating the bank feeding roll when the friction wheels are inactive, and means in connection with said friction operativeness upon the length of time the sald wheels are inthe lowered position, to

;control the extent of movement of the transwheels dependent for in 7 a hank of feathered sheets,

adapted in be raised and f the top sheet when att 2,1201% paw} and ratchet mechzwiusiting mid wit. a rark bar 'ntixicmmeetion with said min-wt nnrimnism. 2: step tooth ,rfi. m M: imiigr i'zi into engagement with imil; {u inn t the movement thereof and minr g'ni {bx f said pawl and i um). means tin-tum win-Ms imgm'erning the vvii mi mitt s'twp tu th.

n inetmiiisin n sneet feeding transfer meets of paper at a time \hw was ti;

M vii 5w Jug-"t trans porting means are g nrwsliwiih lli zttiair minimising; a roli f n' it i in; :2 Mini; (it withered sheets of paper,

shaft for szml wheels and 'mvmred with the i ei'ninectimi with the cznnsniit the xnwtinn of the mid means hei 1g actuated connected when the combing Wheels are raised to inoperative position.

4. Driving mechanism for sheet feeding devices to transfer sheets of paper at a time when the sheets transporting means are periodically inactive comprising a roll for feeding :1 bank of feathered sheets of paper, cmz'i ing wheels, a shaft for said wheels adapted to he raised and. hiweied with the whreis a rack her having an Operative connevtinn with the roll. it stop tooth adapter tube brought into engagement with the rack to limit its movement, and link mechanism connected with the combing wheels for gov erning the position of the said stop tooth In testimony whereof I have hereunto Set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORQ SIIESS. Witnesses:

RUDOLPH FRICKE, EDMUND Sunnonnnn. 

